Reversible flush-valve.



J. 'B. WILLIAMS. REVERSIBLE FLUSH VALVE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1912.

Patented May 27, 1913.

0 AI g A: N 1 W m J I 6' r Y a 1 I iawmmm rwg z I ,w mm) V j up 0 0 K 1d 2 I I I I mum I INTENIDOR aa/zn ,2, Wain WITNESSES fmzn UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. WILLIAMS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOER 0F ONE-HALF TOEDWARDJBLOMQUIST, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

REVERSI-BLE FLUSH-VALVE. r

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J 01m 13. VILLIAMS, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of SanFrancisco and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Reversible Flush-Valves, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a flushing apparatus for use in connectionwith toilets and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a flushing valve which isreversible, that is, one in which the water connections may be easilyreversed so that the intake and discharge ports are readilyinterchangeable, therebyfacilitating installations under varyingconditions; and which valve is simple and substantial in construction,and by the use of which a storage tank, or like appliance, may beeliminated, thereby lowering the cost of installation and reducing thespace required to a minimum.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 1s a verticalsection of the valve.

-Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same, partly broken away. Fig. 3 is across section on the line X- X of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a vertical section ofthe upper portion of the valve, showing the cylinder head in the reverseposition.

This invention relates to a flushing apparatus for use in connectionwith toilets and the like. a

The main object of the invention is to construct a flush valve which issimple andcompact in construction, and which valve may be adjusted toreverse the flow of water through v the intake and discharge connectionswhen so desired to make the'intake connection the.

discharge andthe discharge connection the intake, or vice versa; this isa very desirable feature, as it provides a flush valve that canbe'installed in combination with almost any make of water closet, andwhich can be installed in any position when it is necessary to reducespace to a minimum.

The flush valve, as shown in the accompanying drawings, is a device withthe aid of i which water, in large -enough quantities, is admitted tooperate the toilet; the flush Specification of Lettersilatent.

Patented May 27, 1913.

Application filed June 8, 1912. Serial N0. 701,303.

valve being automatic and adjustable to allow any desired quantity,within certain limits, to flow.

The flush valve consists of a casing A, having an interior cylindricalportion 2, and an outer casing 2, the interior cylindrical portion andthe outer casing being joined together by partitions 2 which areintegral with the cylindrical ortion and the outer casing. The-casing Eis provided with intake and discharge openings 3 and 4, which may bechanged to discharge and intake openings, by changing the position of aset of valve ports in a cylinder head 5, which will later be'described.

The lower end 3 of the valve casing which opens into the cylinder 2,-isprovided with a. brass bushin 6, which forms a seat for the valve 7carried by a piston 8, which latter operates in the cylinder 2. Theupper end of the cylinder'is closed by the cylinder head 5, throughwhich passes a stem 9, the inner end of which carries a valve 10, whichnormally closes a radial discharge port 11in the cylinder head. Thisport 11 is adapted to register witheither one or the other of a pair ofvertically disposed ports 12 and 13; in Fig. 1 of the drawings I haveshown itas registering with port 13, which connects with the opening 4.I have also shown a second radial port 14 in the cylinder head,

which is provided with a smalloutletopen- 7 ing 15, leading into thecylinder 2. The area of the outlet opening is regulated by a needlevalve 16, mounted in the cylinder head, which is adjustable to regulatethe flow of Water from the radial passage into the cylinder. The radialpassage 14 is disposed exactly opposite to the passage 11, or at anangle of 180, and registers with the vertical port 12, which connectswith the opening 3,.

The cylinder head is incased by a cover portion 17, which together withthe cylinder head is clamped to the valve easing by the lock ring 18.The outer cover 17 is shown' as provided with an opening 19, throughwhich passes the stem- 9, which is provided with a push-button 20 on itsouter end. I have also shown the cover provided with a water closet orthe like, not here shown, the operation'is as follows: Normally, valve 7is closed to interrupt the flow of water from the supply main 22 to thedischarge pipe Since the cylinder chamber 2 above the piston 8 remainsalways in communication with the main, throughthe ports 12, 1e, and 15,and the piston being of larger area than the valve 7, the pressure onthe top-side of the piston will be morethan sufficient to hold the valve7 closed. hen it is desired to flush the bowl, it is only necessary topush in onthe button 20. This action opens valve 10, which instantlyrelieves the pressure on the top of the valve piston S, and throwsitinto an unbalanced state by allowing the water in the cylinder chamber2, to empty into the discharge opening 4 through ports 11 and 18; theinlet opening 15 from port 14 being comparatively much smaller than theoutlet through valve 10, will have very little effect in retarding theupward movement of the piston, which jumps almost instantly to the topof thecylinder on the operation of the puslrbutton. The valve 10 isclosed by the piston striking the valve, and thecylinder chamber abovethe piston S will immediately begin to fillthrough the inlet opening'l5,and force the piston back to its normal closed position. The flashing ofthe water closet takes place during the period that it takes the pistonto travel back and reseat the valve 7. By adjusting the needle valve 16more or less, this period may be prolonged or shortened as the needs ofa particular case require. This operation insures the prompt working ofthe closet, for the sudden rush of a small quantity of water underpressure is much more effective in flushing than a large quantity ofwater run in at a slower rate from a tank.

In flushing the bowl of a toilet it is always desirable to choke oif theinrushing water after the actual flushing of the bowl has beenaccomplished. so as to leave'the howl part of the toilet full of water,which is accomplished in this instance by providing the valve 7 with acylindrical extension 2- which also acts as a nut to hold the valve 7 inposition against the piston 8. It can plainly be seen that as the pistonmoves down to seat the valve 7, the cylindrical extension 24 will enterthe circular opening of 'the valve seat 6, and gradually decrease thevolume of water coming from the main 22, thus producing the desiredaction. which allows the bowl of the toilet to refill.

The important feature of this invention is the provision of meanswhereby the flow of,

water through the casing may be reversed so that it will be possible toconnect e ther of the connections 3 or at withthe main or supply pipe22, or the discharge pipe 23, which connects with the bowl of thetoilet.

' This is a very desirable feature as it provides a flush valve that canbe installed in any position or in combination with almost any make ofwater closet.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown the flush valve connected withthe main or supply pipe 22 through the opening 3, and dischargingthrough the opening 4, but however, if a flush valve should be installedin a posit-ion where it would prove more practical or convenient toconnect it with the 'main or supply pipe 22 through the opening 4,(which has previously been described as the discharge opening), andconnect the opening 3, (which has previously been described as theintake opening), with the discharge pipe, it will only be necessary tochange or'reverse the position of the cylinder head 5, to make theintake port 14 register with the port 13,- which now communicates withthe intake side of the flush valve, and the discharge port 11, registerwith the vertical port 12, which now commnnicates with the dischar epipe. The reversed position of the cylin er head is shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. The reversing of the cylinder head is accomplished byunscrewing the lock ring which leaves the cover portion and cylinderhead free to be turned or reversed from one position to another. Oneadvantage of this construc tion is that it makes it possible to connectthe toilet directly to the source of water supply through the usual pipeconnections, thereby eliminating the use of a tank either in thetoiletor in any other part of the building, as is now generally used, thussaving extra piping as well as special apparatus.

The flush valve is neat in appearance, prompt and reliable in itsactions, and takes no more space than the stool alone. The materials andfinish of the several parts of the apparatus are such as experience andjudgment of the manufacturer may dictate.

I wishit understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claim, and that I do not wishto limit myself to thespecific'design and construction here shown. v

When changing the position of the cylinder head to reverse the flow ofwater through the valve casing, and in order to make the connectingports to register, it is desirable to provide means by which a positiveregistering of the ports may be secured. To this end I have provided adowel pin 25, secured to the cylinder head, which will register or seatitself in the openings 26 in the casing,

provided for that purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

A device of the class described comprising an outer casing, acylindricalportion within said outercasing, intake and. discharge connectionsattached to said casing necting said outer casing and cylindricalportion in such manner as to provide two one'being connected with theintake the other being connected with a cylinder head closing ducts,opening and the outlet opening,

the upper end of the cylinder and provided v with diametricallyoppositely disposed passage ways opening into saidcylinder and eachcommunicatin withone of said ducts,

a needle valve carried by said cylinder head and adapted to control oneof said passage ways,'and a control valve carried by said cylinder headand provided with a push button, said cylinder head being formed withthe passage ways constructed to permit the cylinder head to be reversedwhereby the relationship of said passage ways to the ducts isinterchanged, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto-set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. HEBRING, GENEVIEVE S. DONELIN.

